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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2011

Here in my central Indiana, USDA Hardiness Zone 5b, garden, April is like a reunion of flowers.

Since the last Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day in March, the blooms have been steadily arriving at this happy reunion from their journey through the seasons. I rejoice that they made it through that treacherous trip that winter always is. I marvel at each one’s story of survival through last year’s drought.

They arrive daily, first one and then another. Some blooms stay for days and days and I grow used to seeing them. Others come and go all too quickly.

All are greeted by these little violas, which were planted last spring, made it through the summer, overwintered, and now are blooming as brightly as anything else in the garden.

I noticed that all the blooms of April are arriving a little later than they did in 2010. Did the drought hold them up? They seem to be on about the same schedule as 2009 and are definitely ahead of 2008.

To a one, none of them want to recall 2007 at all, due to how cold it got that April!

There are daffodils,

And tulips.

The blues are represented by star flowers, vinca, and these grape hyacinths.

The trees make their presence known with the brightly pinkish-purple blooms of the redbuds (Cercis canadensis) and the white flowers of the serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.). Soon the crabapple blooms will arrive.

Malus ‘Guinevere’ has dark pink buds which fade to white when they open.

The weeds show up, too.

They try to blend in so it is less obvious that they really are crashing the spring reunion party.

While the Forsythia have come and gone, the first Viburnum to bloom, Viburnum carlesii, arrived just in time for bloom day.

But the first lilac, Syringa vulgaris ‘President Lincoln’ is still on its way.

This will be its first visit to this garden so I’m anxious to see it when it finally arrives.

And that’s how the April reunion of flowers is going here at May Dreams Gardens.

What’s blooming in your garden?

We would love to have you join in for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and show us. It’s easy to participate and all are invited!

Just post on your blog about what is blooming in your garden on the 15th of the month and leave a comment to tell us what you have waiting for us to see so we can pay you a virtual visit. Then put your name and the url to your post on the Mr. Linky widget below to make it easy to find you.

“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Comments

I am SOOOO happy to be able to participate this month with actual OUTDOOR blooms, Carol. I forgot to include the coltsfoot, and I don't have any daffs or tulips yet, but otherwise things are looking up in my garden, though about a month behind yours. No snow for a week or so, which is rather nice! Hopefully we've seen the last of it.

Your plants might be late, but they are ahead of us in PA. I wanted to tell you that GBBD has helped me to really focus on taking general photos of my garden for at least one week each month. It has given me "permission" to take time off from running my nursery, blogging, my family, etc. to just look at my garden through the lens. I have also used it as a way to remind my customer/blog subscribers to review their own gardens monthly to see what they need. Thanks for making this possible. Carolyn

Don't you just love April?! It's so nice to finally have some actual blooms for a change. I've never planted violas as a perennial before--how nice to have them come back. I love your viburnum--such lovely blooms. Even the dandelion adds a cheery note!

The garden here has been slower than the last couple of years too. I hadn't considered last year's drought, and thought it was probably due to how chilly March and April have been, especially when compared to the last two early springs when here in the Chicago area we had several days in the 60's and 70's, and very few nights below freezing.

Maybe it's a combination of factors. Here it seemed like all it took was a few warm-ish days to really jump start everything, although we're still somewhat behind for mid-April.

My daffodils are quickly fading, but yours are so pretty now :-) Such a cheerful sight in the spring! Mine ave been replaced by blooming poppies, which take center stage on this month's GBBD! Thanks for hosting these posts!

Your description of the flowers showing up for a reunion is wonderful! I've got plenty of weeds trying to crash the party too but they aren't showcased this month. There was an interesting visitor today though...I hope you'll check it out! As always, I appreciate you hosting GBBD.

Hello Carol, I missed the Violas out of my post this month, but they are true stalwarts. I've never grown Lilacs, but perhaps if I wind up with more space in the future. Look forward to seeing how yours fits in! Thanks for hosting GBBD again, a wonderful meme. I'm off to have a look around...

Ahhhh, almost May the month of your Dreams. I have that daffodil but it is being a bit stubborn this year. It is holding tight in bud. Soon. Your garden is a bit ahead of mine even with the dandys so thank you for the preview.

Happy first bloomday of the year to you. It is so interesting that all the flowers you have flowering have already finished for me. Viburnum carlessi is so fleeting - I planted especially for my husband who loves perfumed plants, he was away 10 days and missed it all! If you check out my last post (not GBBD) you'll see that the dandilions you are worried about showing are sold as seed in packets here! No, I know, I couldn't believe it either!

You have lots of beautiful blooms this month Carol. Those sweet little violas are marvelous. I have to treat them as annuals here. They have never returned for me. I will hope for the best this year after seeing that yours returned. Happy GBBD.

Living in Florida, we can not grow daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths (at least they won't last), but I always enjoying seeing them in other blogs. Yours are beautiful! I especially love the blue hyacinths. I just joined in this month. Thanks for hosting this great meme.

This happy excerize you have created has encouraged me to go back and see what was blooming in previous years. Unlike your garden, my blooms don't seem to so much late, but more mixed up compared to other years. Perhaps every spring is unique in what starts and what ends when. What is not unique is how much gardener's look forward to April. Thank you again for hosting, I really appreciate this.

Beautiful spring show at your place! Everything here was early, daffodils and such are long gone here.

All early except myself, who wondered when I tried to list my blog why there were so many entries already and Mr. Linky was cranky. I was trying to sign up for last year! If you find my mind, please put it in a safe place until I get there. Thank you for being such a gracious hostess on Bloom Day.

It seems like your garden is blossoming well :) I love love love the grape hyacinths! I just went to my mom's yesterday and dug up some of hers to plant in my garden! Her's have completely taken over her yard.

It is like a happy reunion, never thought about it that way. We've had a very cold and wet spring so far and I've got plants that are a month behind while other are right on time.I love the pink daffodils and the Violas.

Things are later this year here in Portland, OR as well. It's been so cold and wet I can't blame them. The Euphorbia flower no matter the weather, just with a little less enthusiasm. I love the look of your about to open lilacs, unfortunately I can't find a single bud on my plant.

Carol, thanks so much for hosting Bloom Day. Gosh, you've done it so long, and it's different every year. It gives us all an opportunity to see what is going on in our gardens each month for three years or so depending on when we joined. Happy Bloom Day to you. I'm glad you're having a sweet flower reunion.~~Dee

I also like that you posted a picture of that dandelion. I was quite offended to find THREE in my yard yesterday and yanked them out without thinking. Then later I thought that I should have taken a picture, because they did look quite pretty sitting amongst all that green. ;)

Thanks as always for hosting and for sharing all the things that we still have to look forward to. Our daffs are approaching peak... But lately my nose has noticed more in bloom than my eyes: the evergreens are going nuts this year!

Love the intimacy you have with your plants. I had a little daff 'Thalia,' in bloom a couple weeks ago, but that was pretty much it for the classic spring bulbs, so it's a treat to read of spring unfolding elsewhere. Happy Bloom Day!

It looks like your garden is about at the same stage as my zone 6b Gettysburg garden, Carol. I love your violas as those pink-tinged daffodils. Isn't this a wonderful time of year? Thanks again for hosting. -Jean

So fantastic to find another gardener! i am so excited!!! i started a garden party a few months back in hopes to find other gardeners who share a passion for gardening and landscape! so fun to find you. I'm your newest follower & will add you to my Link Party page....xoox, tracie

I'm excited to post on my very first Blooms Day! I hope you enjoy it- I decided to add a twist, and show both wild and cultivated species that are blooming. Carol, I love the daffodils with the apricot coloring. I can't wait to see all the other posts today. Thanks everybody!

Well...I have something a little different blooming today...six fluff-balls! We added chicks to our little suburban microfarm today, and I'm just enamored. I'm going to follow-up a bit later with my real blooming post, because in sunny SC, the blooms are fabulous! Happy Bloom Day, all!

Wow, you have so much in bloom already! My forsythia is just beginning to bud. And this will be the first year for my service berry. All very exciting as you have reminded me! What a beautiful peach frilled daffodil. Of course, I too, have weeds - probably more than blooms!

Hi Carol, thanks for hosting once again. I also conclude that the flowers are a little behind last years. I am surprised to see that your Carlesi is actually blooming a few days before ours in Maryland. Must be your local hot spot :)

Not the first time I've been late to the Bloom Day party! I look forward to browsing some of the other blogs with Bloom Day posts... and to warmer, drier weather that will let me start my kitchen garden!

Your garden is quite a little ahead of mine, Carol, and what a beautiful array of blooms you have!Our blooms are later than last year as well. I'll have to look back and check to see how much, but I think it's at least a week or more.We have Coltsfoot blooming but I haven't noticed any dandelion blooms yet. But they'll be out in force very soon :)Happy Bloom Day!

Gadzooks bloom day has gotten huge. Thanks for hosting it, it is a great service to the garden blog community. I think spring came a little late this year in northern California too. You've got a great collection of photos for April and it looks like May will be huge. Cheers.

I haven't participated in a few months and this has gotten huge!! Wow! I am so happy to see color finally popping in my gardens. It's been a very long a hard winter here in Minnesota Zone 4. Here's what's blooming in my April gardens...

The pink & white daffodil & stalwart violas are wonderful, Carol - but the thought of the fragrance of the Abraham Lincoln lilac is killing me! The plant reunions here have been very odd - plants that usually bloom together are out of sync... drought? Heat? Something is weird. My bloom day post is a little late but it's now up.

Thanks for hosting, Carol. I love seeing so many different blooms than I'm used to here in Austin. My post is a day late, but it's up now. I love the sweet violas. I was so happy when I found a volunteer viola mixed in with my garlic plants!

I always enjoy visiting other gardens via GBBD. Thanks for the opportunity! Our 'Judd' viburnum is scenting the entire NE corner of the garden right now. Heavenly! I wish more gardens contained that plant! ~~Rhonda

I'm so sorry I'm late with my submission. Just got home from a holiday in Bandung, Indonesia.I had posted for GBBD earlier before the linky for GBBD was out.Love your spring flowers,Carol.Rosie@mygardenhaven